Most semiconductor wafer processing fabricates multiple different areas on a wafer into identical circuitry which are subsequently cut from the wafer into individual chips or die. These are then fabricated into finished packages. One technique for cutting or singulating a wafer into individual die includes mechanical cutting with a diamond cutting wheel. One technique for holding the wafer during cutting includes use of a circular metal ring which is larger than the wafer being cut. A thin film, commonly referred to as cutting film or tape, is tightly spread over and across the metal ring. One side of the tape is provided to be tacky while the opposing side is not. The tacky side is adhered to the ring. A surface of the wafer is substantially centrally positioned relative to the ring and adhered to the tacky side of the tape. With the wafer so adhered, the metal ring is positioned relative to a cutting device which orients the ring and cuts the wafers along designated scribe lines or street areas on the wafer, where circuitry has typically not been fabricated, for separating the wafer into individual die.
The cut individual die remain attached to the tape due to the stickiness of the tape. Vacuum-type pick-and-place devices then engage individual selected die to pull such from the tape for positioning onto lead frames or other devices for incorporation into finished product. Testing of the individual die for operability is typically conducted prior to the cutting operation.